Whoosh!

<Flame Breathing - 1st Form - Unknowingly Fire>

A blade engulfed in fiery flames obstructed my view.

"This... How could I not recognize it?"

The demon, in its final throes, lunged towards Mitsuri, but before it could reach her, a single scorching strike beheaded it.

Within seconds, surprise flickered in the demon's eyes.

"Huh?"

The demon's head fell, with its gaze fixated on its headless body and the graceful figure standing beside it.

That robe and that hair, ablaze like flames...

"The Flame Hashira..."

The one I had been searching for appeared miraculously before me.

But...

"My mind..."

The surroundings grew increasingly hazy, and I could feel my consciousness slipping away.

'Damn!'

Despite having a bone piercing my body, I had miraculously managed to hold onto my consciousness until now.

It was the adrenaline and Hamon coursing through me, but now that the threat was eliminated, my tense body began to relax.

"Mitsuri..."

"Kotaro-san! Kotaro-san!"

Her tears fell on my face, but I was helpless.

'At least Mitsuri seems to be alright.'

With a sense of relief upon seeing her unharmed, I closed my eyes as my consciousness faded away.

---

Chirp! Chirp!

"The sound..."

The sudden high-pitched cries of birds made Kotaro uncomfortable.

"Mitsuri!"

He swiftly opened his eyes and called out.

"Huh?"

With a dazed expression, he opened his eyes, but the pain quickly reminded him of the battle.

"Where am I?"

He attempted to sit up, but the bandages wrapped around his upper body made it uncomfortable.

Moreover, he sensed a familiar presence beside him. He didn't need to think twice about it. It was obvious.

"Mitsuri..."

Gazing at Mitsuri sleeping by his side, he gently touched her face and noticed traces of tears.

Sensing his movements, Mitsuri slowly opened her eyes and immediately burst into tears upon seeing him awake.

"Kotaro-san! I-I… I was so scared!"

"W-Wait! Don't cry, Mitsuri. Don't cry."

Kotaro sighed as she held onto him tightly, crying inconsolably.

'Her grip is a bit too tight... But I suppose it's alright once in a while.'

He simply stroked her head while she poured her heart out, clinging to him.

---

It's been a while since I recovered.

My body is now fit and fine, but Mitsuri still worries a bit too much and always comes to help me whenever she can. Sometimes, her assistance feels a bit overwhelming, but...

"... I guess that's what I love about her."

"Kotaro-san! Let's spar!"

And there it is, the loud and energetic voice of Rengoku Kyōjurō, the son of the current Flame Hashira - Rengoku Shinjuro.

'It seems I am too early in my journey to become a demon slayer.'

Rengoku is currently in training to become a demon slayer and is about to attend the selection process in a month.

Unlike the future, he is still a kid and hasn't taken the reins after his father.

Anyway, the last demon I slayed with Mitsuri, risking my life, turned out to be a powerful one, not any less dangerous than a lower-ranked demon.

Rengoku somehow got wind of that information, and now he annoys me by showing up unexpectedly, shouting to spar with me.

'I can't even hate him after knowing his pure intentions. But how to refuse him...'

"Kyōjurō, Mitsuri warned me not to exert myself too much, so..."

With this, he might understand and leave.

"Don't worry, Kotaro-san! I've also invited Kanroji to spar!"

"Kyōjurō..."

—

Rengoku Mansion, Training Dojo…

"I am going to take a break."

"Yeah, I also want a break... My tummy hurts. I am hungry~!"

Mitsuri whined while sparring with Kyōjurō, who showed no signs of relenting.

"But we just had lunch a while ago. And you only have a thousand more! You can do more, Kanroji!"

Unlike Mitsuri, Kyōjurō still retained his vigor after relentless training.

"Kotaro-san~!"

She turned to me with teary eyes, but I averted my gaze.

'Sorry, Mitsuri, but you need to train further.'

Although I didn't like sparring with Kyōjurō due to his excessive enthusiasm, I have to admit its effectiveness.

I lacked the fundamentals since I never exercised. Practising Hamon kept my body free of fat, but it did not enhance my strength and stamina.

The same could be said for Mitsuri. Her physique granted her strength, but her stamina was lacking due to her limited exercise.

I had never taught her before because I wasn't familiar with the training methods. The wrong approach could lead to complications.

Kyōjurō, on the other hand, has been following the training regimen set by his father since childhood, and he understands the core principles. It would be more efficient for him to guide us.

And for Mitsuri, this training held greater importance, as wielding a sword couldn't be mastered instantly. As a demon slayer, she would eventually wield a sword. It is better to get used to it.

"Oh! Senjurō. You're here."

Rengoku Senjurō, Kyōjurō's younger brother. Unlike Kyōjurō, he was more grounded. And he happened to be an excellent cook.

"Good job today, Kotaro-san, and Brother and Mitsuri-san as well. Here, I made some snacks for all of you. So why don't we take a break..."

"Thank you, Senjurō-kun!!"

Mitsuri let go of Kyōjurō and enthusiastically hugged Senjurō, catching him off guard with her ample bosom. I could see him flustered because of it.

'Control yourself, Kotaro. He's just a kid.'

I tried to suppress my emotions, yet even so, Senjurō could see the scowl on my face and the dark aura emanating from me towards him.

"Mitsuri-san!"

Senjurō began patting her hand as quickly as possible to free himself.

"Oh, sorry about that Senjurō-kun."

'If you didn't let me go, I might have been killed by someone.'

Senjurō let out a sigh of relief upon witnessing Kotaro's return to normal.

"Hey, we're not done yet!"

Kyōjurō appeared with his wooden sword, ready to take Mitsuri back for more training.

"Oh, how are you doing, brother? I have some setsuna potatoes here too, okay?"

At the mention of setsuna potatoes, even Kyōjurō succumbed to his inner greed and called for a break.

"Break time!"

"Yay!!!"

Mitsuri shouted with delight, while I simply watched both of them being easily swayed by a plate of food.

"Sigh! You two are truly gullible."

"But Kotaro-san, you're eating too."

I glanced at my hands, which had unconsciously reached out for the food.

"Cough! This is for... my training. Yeah! It's for my training!"

---

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